The World Mountain Forum (WMF) took place from 23-24 May 2014 in Cusco, Peru and provided a platform to promote sustainable mountain development. The Forum is a collaborative effort of several partners including, among others, the Mountain Partnership, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), the Ministry of the Environment of Peru, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO). The WMF aims to bring together sustainable mountain development stakeholders from around the world, to promote collaborative action and foster political dialogue, with an overall goal of articulating concrete actions and plans for concerted efforts to address the plight of mountain ecosystems and communities.

IISD RS will produce a summary report of the WMF on Tuesday, 27 May 2014. Available in ENB Mobile at: http://enb.iisd.mobi/mountain-wmf-2014/

Highlights from Friday 23, May 2014

The World Mountain Forum opened on Friday, 23 May 2014, in Cusco, Peru, with introductory remarks followed by a session in the morning on climate change and a session in the afternoon on family farming.

In opening addresses, speakers discussed, among other things: the need for dialogue on sustainable mountain development (SMD) in order to contribute to international processes such as the post-2015 development agenda and climate change negotiations; the consequences of climate change in mountain regions; the sacred nature of mountains to some local communities; and the need to “transform words into actions.”

The climate change session included panels on water resources, ecosystems and climate change adaptation. Speakers discussed, inter alia, the inclusion of climate change adaptation issues in national development action plans; knowledge gaps related to climate change adaptation in mountainous regions, including a lack of understanding of downstream implications; and indigenous water management practices in mountain regions.

Consisting of a series of presentations, in which several panelists highlighted 2014 as the International Year of Family Farming, the family farming session concluded with a policy dialogue in which panelists considered how to improve incomes and quality of life for mountain populations, address youth migration and compensate mountain communities for their stewardship of ecosystem services. In discussions, participants highlighted, inter alia, the threats to mountains from mining, existing mountain community networks in Andean countries and how to finance energy systems in mountain communities.

On Saturday, 24 May, WMF participants met for the second and final day of the Forum. In the morning, participants split into two parallel sessions, one on mountain communities and the other on mountain cities. In the afternoon, they convened in plenary for summaries of session themes and outcomes, as well as a high-level panel discussion and a closing ceremony.

Mountain communities session participants heard presentations on governance and local knowledge in mountain communities in Iran, the Hindu Kush-Himalayas, Romania, Kyrgyzstan and the Andes. This was followed by a panel discussion on the impact of mining on mountain ecosystems and communities.

Mountain cities session participants heard presentations on: the need to recognize the value of mountain ecosystems and services; Quechua perceptions of ecosystems, water and mountains; and how to connect the themes of energy, development and culture in the context of mountains and cities. Two parallel working groups then convened, on water and mountain cities, and on sustainable investment in mountain cities, followed by a joint plenary discussion.

In the afternoon, participants heard summaries from the WMF’s four thematic sessions on: climate change; family farming; mountain communities; and mountain cities. A high level roundtable then discussed a number of issues, including the importance of mainstreaming mountains into the sustainable development goals and the role of civil society in providing information and resources to mountain communities. A synthesis matrix of outcomes was opened for a participatory discussion, followed by closing statements from Miguel Saravia, CONDESAN, Flavia Nabugere, Minister of Water and Environment, Uganda, and Mariano Castro, Vice-Minister of Environment, Peru. The meeting closed at 6:53pm.